Santa’s gonna have his work cut out flying that sleigh if new research about shrinking reindeer is to be believed.

A study presented to a meeting at the British Ecological Society (BES) in Liverpool suggests that over the past 16 years, the weight of adult reindeer in Svalbard in the Norwegian Arctic has dropped by 12%.

According to The Journal, by the time they reached adulthood, reindeer born in 2010 weighed just over 48 kilograms (106 pounds), compared to 55kg for those born in 1994.

An increase in population and subsequent greater competition for food is has been cited as one of the main reasons for the drop off in weight.

We wonder if Rudolph and Co will be allowed tuck into any extra mince pies this year?

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